Press Release

On the evening prior to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Bugatti unveiled
the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport.

In response to customer demand, significant modifications have been made to the vehicle’s complex structure to make possible open-top driving, thereby adding a new dimension to this high-performance sports car. Incorporating a host of new and innovative safety and equipment features, it is the world’s fastest roadster. It is immediately recognizable as a result of its slightly higher windscreen, stylized daytime running lights, and lightweight, transparent polycarbonate roof.

The main challenge in developing the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport with removable roof resulted from the unique structure of the fixed-roof Bugatti Veyron. An optimum combination of rigidity and lightweight engineering ensures the monocoque passenger cell of the original model is extremely strong while weighing an absolute minimum – it is a central element of the vehicle’s structure.

As the roof is an integral part of this, removing it meant the load paths had to be completely redesigned to maintain the vehicle’s rigidity and crash safety, and to offer additional protection from side impacts and rolling.

As a result, the monocoque structure has been reinforced around the side skirts and the transmission tunnel. The B-pillars have been cross-stiffened using a carbon fibre support, and a central carbon plate has been positioned beneath the transmission tunnel to ensure the vehicle suffers from less torsional flexing
than any other roadster. The doors of the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport are made of carbon fibre, and house an integrated longitudinal beam. In the event of an accident, this transfers the load from the A to the B-pillar, thereby dissipating impact energy. Furthermore, the two redesigned air intakes for the 16-cylinder mid-engine now feature 10-centimetre wide carbon-fibre elements to offer protection should the car roll.

Along with moisture-resistant, backstitched leather, a range of new equipment features has been added to the interior, including a reversing camera with 2.7-inch monitor in the rear-view-mirror, and the “Puccini” sound system with digital signal processor.

When the roof is closed, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport can reach 407 km/h, while speeds of up to 360 km/h are possible with roof off. Should it rain, an innovative folding roof stored in the luggage compartment can be opened up like an umbrella at any time. When this folding roof is in place, the car can travel at up to 130 km/h.

Assembled by hand at the company’s headquarters in Molsheim, Alsace, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport will be available from March 2009 at the price of 1.4 million euros (excluding tax). Just 150 examples will be made, with the first 50 of these going exclusively to registered Bugatti customers.

Images of the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport (known as Bugatti Veyron Targa so far) have surfaced online.

The car will make its official debut at the Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance on August 17.

Bugatti is planning to build just 80 of these Grand Sports. Two weeks more and then we could have the price of the first topless Bugatti ever sold ($2,250,000 is the expected starting price)!

It is official now : Bugatti is working on a Targa semi-convertible version of its EB16.4 Veyron super-coupe.

This targa version of the Bugatti supercar will make its public debut at the 2008 Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach, California, which kicks off on August 17.

The topless Bug will get a removable hardtop, but Since the Veyron’s packaging is so tight, the roof panel cannot be stored on board meaning the cover will have to be taken off at home.

Bugatti has unveiled a third limited edtion model of the Veyron ‘hypercar’ to sit alongside the Pur Sang and Fbg par Hermes variants of the fastest and most desirable supercar on the planet.

The Sang Noir, which translates to ‘Black Blood’, is based on the previous Pur Sang edition of which only five cars were built.

Every Veyron is built to order with a custom package as specified by the consumer and with this in mind we could easily argue the fact there will be 300 different special edition Veyrons on the street by the time the current generation production series ends.

Harking back to a collaboration first initiated in the 1920s, Bugatti has teamed up with haute couture house Hermes and designer Gabriele Pezzini, to accessorize the Veyron.

Showcased for the first time at the 2008 Geneva Autoshow, the Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermes is named after Hermes’ historical headquarters on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris.

The “Fbg” references the house’s “faubourg” address.

Did you know one of out every five Bugatti Veyron‘s sold is in Dubai.

How do you make your $1.3 million car more exclusive? You get the Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang limited just to 5-units worldwide these special-edition Veyron were all immediately sold at a $300k premium.

Pur Sang means ‘Pure blood’ in French and the chromed Veyron is differentiated by its paintjob, or rather, lack thereof.